 |
| Xian H6 |
This plane is landing at Ryazan, Russia, which is a stone's throw from Moscow but 3,500 miles from Peking.
Extracted from Wikipedia:
The Xian H-6 is a licence-built version of the Soviet Tupolev Tu-16 twin-engine jet bomber, built for China's People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). Delivery of the Tu-16 to China began in 1958, [the first Chinese built one] flew in 1959. By November 2020, the PLAAF had as many as 231.
The design for this airplane is over 60 years old, and they are still building them.
How many years old is the B-52 design? I suspect all three heavy bomber designs have seen upgrades over the years.
ReplyDeleteB-52 design process started in 1952,
ReplyDeleteThe B-52H has been undergoing regular upgrades in airframe, hydraulics, engines, avionics, and weapons suite for decades. Like the 707/KC-135, it has proven to be an incredibly versatile design, originally conceived as a high-altitude nuclear bomber, now capable of everything from Strategic bomber, to maritime patrol, to close-air support.
ReplyDelete